Page 54 of Marked for Execution

Crunch!His teeth pierced my head, and the agony stole my attention from the anger I had been running on.

“Sili!”

“Fuck!”

Gunshots rang out, jerking the body that held me. His jaws clamped on tighter, and his tongue touched my face.

Suddenly, we both fell to the side. I tried to slow my breathing to get control of the throb that ran through my skull.

It was Eliseo who ripped open the vampire’s mouth and pulled it off me, picking me up with his arms behind my knees and shoulders.

I could hear the men’s war cry as it faded into the darkness of my mind.

“Faheema, you should have known it would be this way,” my father said accusingly, adding to the guilt that already weighed me down.

“I didn’t mean it. I-it just happens.”

He stared at me in discontent. When I looked at my mother, hers was full of pity. They didn’t know what to do with me. I killed one of the cows when my emotions got the best of me. The entire town was pissed, and I did the only thing I could. I ran. I ran to my parents, who are now at a loss of what to do with me.

Each day, my father’s hate for me grew every time more of my extra strengths exposed themselves. His constant disapproval would be the death of me.

“Nothing just happens, girl! You understand the rules of this community as well as the rules of this house. You chose to do what you did, didn’t you? You wanted to bring shame to this family!” His hands were balled into fists, the veins on his neck popped out with how loud he was yelling at me, while I was on my knees in front of him, begging for forgiveness.

Slap! The sting across my face was nothing in comparison to what I was feeling on the inside. Was he right? Have I brought shame to the family? I was nothing but trouble. They didn’t deserve this from me.

“Sili, open your eyes for me babe. Come on.”

“She’s fading again.”

“I can see that, you prick!”

“Patricia, you can’t save them all! She needs to go!”

“No!” My mother’s screams morphed into the multiple cries of burning innocents nailed to crucifixes.

The scream was sharp and shrill in my ears, until I realized it was me. My flesh singed and charred as the fires stole my voice, drowning me in flames and losing myself to a darkness I never asked for.

Images flick back and forth, from dark to light, from dark tocrimson.

Everything was wet. I was drowning in the blood of everyone around me until I sputtered and choked on my last breath.

I awoke with a start, jumping up to a sitting position, but a warm, calloused hand gently nudged me back down to my back. I let him; my heart still pounded erratically at the nightmare that ran behind my closed lids.

What happened? Where was…

“Eliseo?”

His arm wrapped around my midsection, pulling me closer to his warmth. Tears sprung forth uncontrollably when I turned to bury my face against his chest.

That was all just a nightmare. Why would I have such crazy images running through my head? Wolves and old men. Robed masochists and a town massacre. What a macabre sight to behold.

My hands crawled up to cradle his face and pull him down. Opening my eyes, I stared at him, examining his skin to make sure I was not losing my damn mind. I couldn’t tell what was real and what was not anymore.

He kissed my palm and let me stare, his eyes soft as he did the same.

“I had a bad dream,” I told him.

“Yeah?” His thumb brushed away my stray tears, but he didn't smile. No, his face was scrunched in concern, and suddenly my heart rate picked up again.